New materials for active and passive integrated devices for wireless applications

Today's cellular phones are quickly giving way to tomorrows vast array of advanced networking technologies, from portable web access and e-commerce to networking multiple computers in the home. The increasing frequencies and functionality required to satisfy these markets is leading the wireless integrated circuit (IC) Technology roadmap down the path of 'system-on-a-chip' integration. Future wireless IC technologies will leverage scaling of CMOS and passive components to provide low cost solutions for consumer markets. For logic intensive applications, shrinking the gate is one approach to reducing die size and typically results in an increase in functional integration. For RF and analog intensive applications, shrinking the RF/analog capacitor size also results in decreased die size or increased levels of integration. Continued scaling of traditional IC dielectrics such as SiO2 and Si3N4 results in excessive leakage currents and system power drain, therefore, high permittivity (or high K) materials solutions are required and will be discussed briefly. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.